Steam-generating apparatus



1,626,950 May 1927' H. H. MERCER STEAK GENERATING APPARATUS Filed March23. 1921 Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRI H. MERGER, OF CLAREMONTfNETV HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO SULLIVANMACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

STEAM-GENERATING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 23, 1921. Serial No. 454,778.

My invention relates to channeling mechanisms and the methods ofoperating the same, and more particularly to apparatus for enablinggetting up steam expeditiously in oil fired steam channelers.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved channeler mechanism.Another object of my invention is to provide an improved system ofoperation for oil fired channelers. A further object of my invention isto provide an improved type of oil fired channeler mechanism in whichmeans is provided for storing in the channeler the requisite atomizingfluid for use during the process of getting up steam. Other ob ects ofmy invention ,will appear in the course of the following specificationand appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown for purposes of illustrationone form which my invention may assume in practice. In these drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a channeler provided with one form of myimproved mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a view of, a series of channelers each provided with mechanismfor accomplishing my improved system of channeler operation andcooperating with a channeler of the type shown in Fig. 1 for the purposeof storing up atomizing fluid.

In F 1 of the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a channelercomprising a channeling engine 1 adapted to be supplied with steam fromboiler 2, said engine and boiler being mounted upon a truck 3 formovement upon Wheels 1 along a track 5.

The boiler is of a type in which there is provided a relatively largesteam space at the top thereof, the steam space being generallyindicated by 6. The boiler is fired by means of fuel oil from a tank 7,and the oil is distributed by a pipe line- 8 to a steam atomized oilburner 9, the supply of oil being controlled by a stop valve 10. Thesupply of atomizing steam is adapted to be transmitted by a pipe line 11from the steam space of the boiler and is controlled by either one of apair of valves 12 and 13. The valves 12 and 13 are located on oppositesides of a T 14'. to which is connected, under the control of a'stopvalve 15, a pipe 16 leading from a T 17, there being provideda T 18interposed in the pipe 16 adjacentthe T 17. The opposite sides of the T17 are conwith those described above.

these channelers, however, the air compresnected respectively by meansof a pipe line i and is controlled by'a stop valve 27. It will beunderstood that, as desired, during the operation of the compressor 24the boiler may be fired by means of oil passing through the burner 9 andatomized either by steam through the line 8 or by air passing throughthe line 16 and valves and 13. The channeler so far described may beconsidered as the mother channeler.

The. other channelers are similar to the channeler just described andcomprise (see Fig. 2) frames 3 mounted on wheels 4: and the frames carrythereon boilers 2 and a channeler engine 1 identical in construction Inthe case of sor is not provided and the system consists, with theexception of the third channeler from the left which is later described,only of a line 8 for the supply of oil fuel through a valve 10 to theoil burner 9 and of a pipe 11 having stop cocks 12 and 13 on oppositesides of the T 14, with which a pipe 28 communicates. The pipe 28 oneach of these channelers is connected by suitable hose 29 with pipe line30 which connects with the dischargeline 25 on the first mentioned ormother channeler. The operation of the system described is as follows:After the channelers have worked all day and it is time to shut themdown, the boilers are blown down in the well-known manner and thenfilled up to the desired point. The burners are then extinguished and assoon as the generation of steam has ceased and the steam spaces of theboilers are not filled with steam under pressure, the connections 29 aremade with the pipes 28. The stop cocks 12 on each of the channelersexcept the mother channeler are opened and the air compressor 24 havingbeen started, air pressure suflicient to cause popping of the safetyvalve is pumped upin the steam spaces of each of the boilers. The valves12 having been closed, the various channeler-s are then disconnectedfrom the hose connections 29 and suitable caps may be applied to theends of the pipes 28 or these pipes may be provided with supplementalvalves 3-1 to prevent escape of pressure therefrom. It will beunderstood that the large quantity of water.

in the boilers does not entirely cool over night and that by reason ofthe relatively great heating surfaces provided by the fire tubes and therelatively great heatwhich may be generated by means of the oil burners,steam may be gotten up quite rapidly after the boilers have stood overnight. For the purpose of getting up steam, the valves 12 and 13 a1'eopened and the air pressure is allowed to discharge at a very gradualrate through these valves to atomize the oil; Beiore the pressure storedin the steam spaces of the boilers has been wholly used for the purposeof the atomization of the oil supply to the burners, the boilers willagain be steaming ant the steam may be led through the same pipe 11without cessation to continue the atomization of the oil supply to theburners. The air stored in one boiler may be used for the purpose ofeffecting atomization of oil in the furnaces of other boilers as well asin its own furnace.

As to the, mother chauneler, the method of shutting down is similar withthe exception of the fact that in the case of this channeler it isnecessary to store the reserve air for starting operation of the burnersin the receiver 21, for obviously it would be impossible to pump thesteam space in the boiler full of air by means of the steam in thatboiler.

From the foregoing description the mode of operation of channe'lers usedaccording to this system will be readily apparent and it will be evidentthat means is provided for causing the ready starting of oil burners,even though they may use a relatively poor grade of fuel oil, and itwill further *be obvious that the mechanism employed is of very simpleconstruction and requires on most of the channelers the addition only ofa T connection and one or two additional stop coc rs. To regulate thepressure of the air supplied for atomization purposes a pressurereducing valve 82 may be installed in the line 11, and also a by-pass topermit the ready passage of airin the opposite direction if necessary.

It must be understood that my invention is not limited to use with fluidatomized burners and that by suitable modification it may be readilyadapted to use with burners making use of mechanical meansofatomization.

nection 11 would be dispensedpwithand a suitable burner 9 of themechanlcal atomization type having been substituted for the \Vith such asystem (see the thirdchanneler from the left in, Fig. 2) the conwhich myinvention may assume in practice andby which it may be carried out, itwill be noted that these have been adopted for pu-rposes'ot illustation'only and that the invention may be modified and embodied in otherforms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In asteam generating apparatus, a

plurality of oil fired steam generating devices each having a steamstorage chamber and an oil atomizer burner, means including a pumpcarried by one of said devices for filling the storage chambers of theothers of said devices with compressed fluid after the generation oisteam in said latter devices has ceased, a fluid receiver carried by thedevice which carries the pump, said pump being adapted to 'fill saidreceiver with compressed 'fluid, means for driving said pump, means itorsupplying compressed fluid from said receiver to said pump-carryingdevice for atomizing the oil for starting the same, and means forsupplying the compressed fluid stored in said chambers of the otherdevices for atomizing the oil for starting the same.

2. In a steam generating apparatus, a plurality o1 oil fired steamgenerating de vices each having a steam storage chamber and an oilatomizer burner, means including a pump carried by one of said devicesfor filling thestorage chambers of the others of said devices withcompressed fluid after the generation of steam in saidlatter devices hasceased, a fluid receiver carried by the device which carries the pump,said pump being adapted to fill said receiver with compressed tluid,means for driving said pump .by the steam generated in the device bywhich it is carried, means for supplying compressed fluid from saidreceiver to said latter device for atomizing theoil for starting thesame, and means for supplying the com-pressed fluid stored in saidchambers of the other devices for atomizing the oil for starting thesame.

3; A self contained unit comprising a plurality of oil fired steamdevices each including an 'oil :atomizer burner, means including a pumpcarried by one of said devices and a receiver carried by one of saiddevices and chambers comprising steam spaces in the remainder 0t saiddevices for the supply of pressure fluid for use in effectingatomization of the oil when it is desired to start up the devices afterthey have been shut down with the fires extinguished and steamgeneration terminated, and means whereby said pump is operated togenerate pressure for said chambers.

4. A channeler equipment for quarries comprising a self-contained unitconsisting of a plurality of steam driven oil fired channelers, meanscarried by each of said channelers for the storage of fluid pressure foruse in effecting the atomizing of oil during the starting of saidchannelers after they have been shut down and steam generation hasceased, and means carried by one of said channelers for the productionof fluid pressure for storage in said means.

5. The method of operating a self-contained channeler unit consisting ofa plurality of oil fired steam devices comprising pumping up a pressurein a receptacle normally employed for steam in one of said channelerunits subsequent to the cessation of steam generation therein, andemploying the pressure so pumped up in the atomization of oil in all ofsaid remaining channelers when started up.

6. The method of operating a series of oil fired boilers which consistsin pumping with steam from one of said boilers a substantiallynon-condensing pressure fluid into the steam space of another boiler sothat fuel oil for said latter boiler may be atomized for starting afterthe same has been shut down.

7. The method of operating a series of oil fired boilers which consistsin pumping with steam from one of said boilers a substantiallynon-condensing fluidunder pressure into the steam space of anotherboiler and into a reserve tank for use with the first named boiler, sothat fuel oil for said boilers may be atomized for starting after thesame have been shut down.

8. self-contained unit comprising aplurality of oil fired steam pressuredevices, pressure generating means actuated by steam pressure from oneof said devices for creating another fluid pressure, means for relievingsteam pressure in the remaining devices and stopping the fires, andconduit means connecting said generating means with said relievedpressure devices for starting up said devices after the fires have beenextinguished.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY H. MERCER.

